Get to Know Your College Essay Tutor: Sarah

What made you want to tutor college essay writing?

I love writing, I love reading, and I love working with teenagers. I’ve been a writer and teacher for most of my career. I’ve written and published everything from blog posts to op-eds and an academic book. But I especially enjoy writing personal essays, and helping others to craft theirs. Personal essay writing is its own amazing art form and college applications are often the first structured opportunity students have to tell their stories on the page. I feel really privileged to meet students at this unique moment between teenagehood and early adulthood, and work with them to discover new ways of sharing their unique experiences. 

What was the college application process like for you? 

I’m a little embarrassed now to say that I found the college application process really stressful! I went to a competitive private high school and college applications felt very high stakes. I vividly remember thinking that there was some sort of trick to essay writing that I just wasn’t getting, and worrying that I was screwing it up. Now with hindsight I see so much of the process differently. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of wonderful colleges. And there is no trick to college essay writing apart from being true to who you are and finding a genuine way to share a story. 

What's your best piece of college essay writing advice? 

My best piece of college essay writing advice is to forget about anyone else’s essay writing process, and focus completely on the task as it applies to you. It’s incredibly easy to get sucked into thinking there’s a formula or strategy you should be using, and even easier to start comparing your experiences, and your skills to other people’s. At best this is a distraction and at worst it can unnecessarily undermine your confidence. 

Everyone and anyone can write a great college essay. The trick is to tune into yourself. The best essays I read have often been about the most quotidian things. You don’t have to cure cancer, do an amazing community service project, or save the planet to write a great college essay; you just have to be you. 

Tell us about one memorable college essay you’ve seen.

One of my favorite essays I’ve ever read was about a student’s experience working in a cheese shop in their hometown. I was struck by the essay from the very first line. So many of the essays we read day in and day out follow almost a stock formula of rehearsing extra curricular successes. The fact that the essay was fantastic had nothing to do with cheese, and everything to do with the way the student wrote about something they knew, and something that was important to them, without trying to engineer how it might come across. It felt genuine, and as a reader, it made me smile.  

How do you spend your time when you're not tutoring? 

I live in the Bay Area with my husband and two extremely energetic toddlers. When I’m not tutoring, I spend a lot of time at playgrounds, potty training, and wandering the beautiful East Bay hills! I also work as a freelance writer and researcher for a diverse array of clients. In my rare free time, I’m an enthusiastic weight lifter, cook, and swimmer!